Location: Yunlin
Distance: 54km Elevation gain: 1,900m
I would propose this as the best cycling area in Taiwan, the spider web maze of roads that connect the three counties of Yunlin, Nantou, and Chiayi could be combined to make multiple stages of a Grand Tour. In #032 of our series, we covered County Rd. No. 149, in this installment we cover the No. 149A which is a subsidiary of the former.
It could be argued that this should be your first choice if riding in this area as it is the only road that allows you to access all of the others, it just depends on whether you want to ride north to Zhushan, south to Alishan or west back down to Yunlin.
The road can be accessed by public transport with Douliu being the nearest train station. Exiting the station go to Zhonghua Rd. then to Chenggong Rd. to get to the 0km marker on the 149A. For the first 5km, the road is flat urban riding before the ascent begins. For the next 15km, it’s a steady, but stiff climb up to 600m and the village of Jhanghu. Excellent riding on this section, heavily forested, but still offering great views down to the cityscape below.
On this part of the ascent, the rider will encounter two intersections with other major roads in the area At the 14km marker the road intersects with County Rd. No. 158A and then at the 16km marker it intersects with the No. 149 mentioned above.
Jhanghu Village is at the 19km marker. There are a few small shops here to pick up refreshments. At the 25km marker, rough concrete and extremely steep downhill on a few ‘S’ shaped hair-pin turns down to the river and the same on the way back up. Several years ago I tried to descend on this road going in the opposite direction, but there was a major landslide blocking it. If you zoom in on the map below you’ll see where the old road disappeared. This area is extremely unstable and you would be ill-advised to ride during or after heavy rain.
It will become obvious to the rider that you are entering one of the major growing areas for betel nut and tea. Plantations dot the landscape on impossibly steep slopes. At the 30km marker, the 149A intersects with County Rd. No. 149B, the rider should follow the 149A in the direction of Caoling, which is at the 38km marker.
This is a very popular area for hikers. As you ride along you will see signs every couple of kilometers directing you to various scenic spots, hikes, and waterfalls. One of the best things to see, if you want a break off the bike, would be ‘Ten Thousand Year Gorge’ at 149A 37km marker. A list of scenic spots can be found here.
At the 49km marker on the No. 149A, there is a left turn-off for the Chia 155 road to Laiji. There is a sign here for Hana Village Kitchen, a restaurant opened by a South African woman married to a local indigenous. Here is the link to the restaurant.
The food is excellent and this is also the road to the indigenous village of Laiji which is a popular tourist spot with lots of guest houses. This is the heartland of the Tsou tribe. The 155 continues climbing for another 10 – 15 km and is a tough ride up to 1,600m before it loops around to Fenchihu.
The 149A ends at the 54km marker, you should take a right turn here on County Rd. No. 169 which will take you to Fenqihu in the Alishan area. After a few kilometers on the No. 169 there is another intersection with the County Rd. No.162A (this is the top of the road featured in #038 ‘The 36 Bends’ and leads down to Meishan.
Alternatively, a few kilometers after this there is an intersection with County Rd. No. 166 to Ruili (#031). The rider should be aware this is an extremely confusing area with so many roads intersecting. This road is tricky to follow as it merges with both the 149 and 158A. For several km, these roads all combine making it difficult to determine which one you are on.
Otherwise, as stated earlier, this has to be one of the best routes in the country with so many options to extend it for a full day of riding.
Here is an interactive GPS map of the route: